RiseBoro Community Partnership is proud to present the twelfth edition of ¡CalabazaFest!, the colorful, outdoor, cross-cultural, family-friendly, fun and free costume party celebrating Day of the Dead, Halloween, and harvest festival traditions.

¡CalabazaFest! has become an eagerly-awaited highlight of autumn in Bushwick, bringing together local community and arts organizations, all working in concert to create a joyous day celebrating community, creativity, diversity, and cultural expression.

Held in Maria Hernandez Park, ¡CalabazaFest! features a fantastic live stage show of music, mariachi, and dance performances, a special edition RB Farmers Market, pumpkin carving, and a creative costume contest (beginning at 2:00pm).

VENDORS, VOLUNTEERS, ARTISTS and PERFORMERS WANTED!

RiseBoro Community Partnership invites visual and performing arts groups, crafts & food vendors, volunteers, and local businesses and CBOs to participate in ¡CalabazaFest!, Bushwick’s wildly fun mini-festival celebrating Day of the Dead, Halloween, and harvest fair traditions being held in Maria Hernandez Park on Sunday, October 30.

¡CalabazaFest! Behind the Scenes

RiseBoro Community Partnership, a multi-service nonprofit organization with over 40 years of service to the community, is proud to present ¡CalabazaFest!, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2019. RiseBoro thanks Council Member Jennifer Guittierez for supporting ¡CalabazaFest!.

Alvaro Paulino, Jr. (of The New York City Mariachi, Inc.), is an internationally renowned, fifth-generation mariachi band leader (and Bushwick resident), serves as Music Director for ¡CalabazaFest!. He will be onstage with his own Mariachi Tapatio de Alvaro Paulino, who will be followed by Mariachi Juvenil Tapatio de Alvaro Paulino – young protegees from his New York City Mariachi Conservatory.

Mazarte Dance Company, led by founder and director Martha Nora Zarate-Alvarez, has become an integral part of ¡CalabazaFest!, presenting thrilling performances in fabulous traditional costume.

Local artist/designer Sean-Michael Fleming, creator of ¡CalabazaFest!, serves as Creative Director, lending his years of graphic, event, and theater design experience to the event.